“original” state and then simply leave us to our own devices. In addition to being an expiatory sacrifice for sin, Christ’s death and subsequent resurrection also constitute a sacrifice of “first fruits.” In him, death is transformed from being merely the “wages of sin” to the means of new life. His resurrection offers the sign and the surety that God will complete his purposes for humanity, and not let humanity be deterred or destroyed by death. Indeed, Christ’s sacrificial offering of his body